Lesvos Positive Parenting Approach
The creation of the Lesvos Positive Approach Network arose from the desire to empower professionals, parents and caregivers with tools for positive parenting.
Positive parenting is a method developed by Viennese psychiatrists Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs. It emphasizes mutual respect and uses positive guidance as its main tool. It focuses on teaching how to behave through positive examples, concentrating on what can be done to correct a mistake rather than punishing an action.
Our approach is based on “Attachment Theory” and the research of psychiatrist John Bowlby, along with studies on the developmental stages of children, child-centered learning theories, and methods for fostering self-regulation. The first five years of a child’s life are the “critical windows of development.” Our approach is a philosophy of parenting that is based on nurturing the reciprocal relationship that develops, where the parent responds with sensitivity and empathy to the child’s needs.
In this way, the child feels secure and, as they grow, internalizes this sense of security, which helps them explore their environment, gradually become independent, and build close, trusting, and safe relationships. Cultivating a secure emotional bond with a caregiver, especially during these sensitive periods in the first five years of development, significantly contributes to the healthy neurobiological, psychological, and social development of the child.
Opportunities for repair exist throughout our lives, as the brain’s neuroplasticity never ceases. The approach we propose helps parents adjust their interactions with the child throughout their relationship, where mistakes serve as opportunities for repair and reconnection in a new way, towards fostering a secure emotional bond.
Actions and target groups
The Lesvos Positive Approach Network provides interactive/experiential workshops for parents/caregivers, educational institutions, and other professionals working with children, such as medical and paramedical professionals.
Topics:
- Connection & secure emotional attachment
- Communication & physical needs
- Smooth integration of a new family member
- Sibling relationships and conflicts
- Developmental stages, psychoeducation
- Tools for enhancing cooperation
- Strengthening the child’s internal motivation
- Empowerment of parents and the parental role
- Positive parenting workshops
- Parent-child communication workshops
- Child emotional development workshops
The Sporos Regeneration Institute’s focus on regenerative practices and holistic development aligns closely with the principles of positive parenting, secure attachment, and emotional well-being. Both initiatives work towards building resilient communities, with Sporos focusing on sustainability and regeneration, while we support families in fostering emotionally resilient environments for children. Together, we empower parents and caregivers with the tools to raise healthy children, contributing to a regenerative society. By promoting secure attachments and emotional resilience, we create long-term societal impacts that extend across generations. Sporos and our action group share a commitment to intergenerational learning, sustainable living, and emotional well-being, recognising that emotional and psychological resilience are essential pillars of regeneration. Through collaborative workshops, we combine positive parenting with sustainable living practices, offering a comprehensive approach to family and community development. By working together, we ensure that communities are not only environmentally sustainable but also emotionally and socially resilient, fostering healthier, more stable families that contribute positively to society.